to be
doin' somethin' fur yore keep an' wages. H'ist yo'se'f an' move."

"I ain't doin' nothin'!" Jeff protested spiritlessly.

"Dat you ain't!" agreed Aunt Dilsey. "An' whut you better do is better
do somethin'--tha's my edvices to you. S'posin' ole boss-man came back
yere to dis kitchen an' ketch you 'cumberin' de earth de way you is. You
knows, well ez I does, w'ite folks suttinly does hate to see a strappin'
nigger settin' 'round doin' nothin'."

"Boss-man ain't yere," said Jeff. "He's up at the cote-house. Mos'
doubtless jes' about right now he's sendin' some flippy cullid woman to
the big jail fur six months fur talkin' too much 'bout whut don't
concern her."

"Is tha' so?" she countered. "Well, ef he should come back home he'll
find one of de most fragrant cases of vagromcy he ever run acrost right
yere 'pon his own household premises. Boy, is you goin' move, lak I
patiently is warned you, or ain't you? Git on out yander to de stable
an' confide yo' sorrows to de Jedge's old mare. Mebbe she mout be able
to endure you, but you p'intedly gives me de fidgits. Git--befo' I
starts findin' out ef dat flat haid of yourn fits up smooth ag'inst de
back side of a skillit."

Nervously she fingered the handle of her largest frying-pan. Jeff knew
the danger-signals. Too deeply sunken in melancholy to venture any
further retorts, he withdrew himself, seeking sanctuary in the lee of
Mittie May. He squatted upon the capsized keeler, automatically
balancing himself as it wabbled under him on its one projecting handle,
and, with his eyes fixed on nothing, gave himself over unreservedly to a
consuming canker. For all that unhappiness calked his ears as with
pledgets of cotton wool, there presently percolated to his aloof
understanding the consciousness that somebody was speaking on the other
side of the high board fence which marked the dividing line between
Judge Priest's place and the Enders' place next door. Listlessly he
identified the voice as the property of the young gentleman from up
North who was staying with his kinsfolk, the Enders family. This was a
gentleman already deeply admired by Jeff at long distance for the
sprightliness of his wardrobe and for his gay and gallus ways. Against
his will--for he craved to be quite alone with his griefs and no
distracting influences creeping in--Jeff listened. Listening, he heard
language of such splendor as literally to force him to rise up and
approach the fence and apply h